Graycliff Espresso Series

A tiny team of one dozen master rollers quietly craft cigars in Nassau, Bahamas under the supervision of Avelino Lara, creator of the original Cuban Cohiba. Using some of the world's finest tobaccos, these rollers produce Graycliff, a luxury handmade brand that essentially defines what a boutique cigar is all about. Among the Graycliff blends produced here is the Espresso series. This blend has been described as "nearly hallucinogenic" by Robb Report magazine....although it is rich and full in flavor it is far from full-bodied. In fact, it's really more of a middleweight in the strength department. Cloaked in a super-dark Costa Rican wrapper, a bold combination of Cuban-seed Corojo, Ecuadorian ligero, and Nicaraguan tobaccos is aged 6 years, making the Espresso the fullest of the Graycliffs. Deep, rich notes of chocolate and coffee coat the palate, and are complemented by a robust note of toast and spice on the finish. Simply delicious.

However, amping things up a notch is the brand new 'Double Espresso' - Avelino Lara took things up a notch by crafting a singular blend in a stout 4.5" x 54 firecracker of a size. The Double Espresso boasts two times the ligero to offer even deeper layers of rich, intoxicating flavors.

Graycliff Espresso Series Cigar Customer Reviews

“Put one part El Mejor Espresso, one part Gurkha Fuerte, and one part steroids and BAM! The "Graycliff Double Espresso", Definitely on the strong side of medium, rich coffee and semi sweet chocolate, peppery and i even tasted some vanilla nuances. Find a quite place with an hour to spare, kick back and enjoy this fat, tasty, powerful... S.O.B!”

VB of San Francisco, CA

“An excellent wee cigar. (Graycliff Espresso) I found it to be not at all full-bodied; perhaps only a low-end medium, but with a lot of flavour. I'd call the pre-light aroma 'floral' and very nice, indeed. Firm ash, even burn and good to the end. I'll have to have more of these.”

MM of Leesburg, VA

“I'll put this little guy (Graycliff Double Espresso Series) up against NUB, what a great stick!!”

DH of Streamwood, IL

“I bought a 5 pack a while back and had them resting a while, I'm was very disappointed, these are not worth the price. Try El Mejor Espresso instead.”

DR of Philadelphia, PA

“I found these cigars to a little on the harsh side of strong. For the price, I felt them to be quite expensive.”

JG of Lacombe, LA

“The (Graycliff Double Espresso) is an incredible little cigar that is much bigger on taste than appearance. I ordered mine early in 2008 when CI offered up one of those 75 or 80% off MSRP deals you can't resist.
I'm not going to write about the experience since that has been done better than I can. I have ONE NEGATIVE thing to add. The construction of the sticks I received was NOT impressive. I have NEVER seen so much pectin slathered all over the band. You cant avoid tearing up the otherwise lovely wrapper that covers much of the 4.6" cigar. I was also shocked at the amount and sloppiness of pectin on the caps.
The odd thing is the description of the product here at CI describes the torcedors as top-notch, but I truly have not seen so much pectin EVER or such sloppiness on such a pricey cigar.
I would have been very disappointed if I paid $10/stick. Besides that one downfall the cigar is EXCELLENT.”

DW of Weaverville, NC

“I loved the (Graycliff 1666) already, so I decided to try the Double Espresso. Man, this thing was potent. Nice, spicy, peppery, and buttery, but still smooth. In my book, this is very full bodied, but I am still a newbie. For me, it was like smoking a hot pepper, but I love peppers!”

SS of winter haven, FL

“Just made the purchase of the Double Expresso when CI offered them on the deal of the day offer ( probably the only way I can afford them).
I did not wait to cure them in my humidor, I had to try one right away.
I was blown away from the start. Just smelling the unlit cigar is a little bit like heaven, sich earthy tones. Lighting up I got the the immediate presence of Cedar and oak, with creamy after taste. the rich smoke and aroma only enhances the experience. This cigar rivals any "Cuban" I have had. Now I have a dilemma, how do I savior the remaining nine cigars and I how do I manage to acquire more. Truely one of the best smokes I have had.”

ML of Farmington, MN

“I love the (Graycliff Double Espresso Series) , had a chance to go to the factory and buy some right off the hand rollers table”

CW of anderson, SC

“An UNBELIEVABLE experience (Graycliff Double Espresso Series) for a newcomer to the pure luxury of cigar smoking. I have only been smoking cigars for a year or two and was turned on to the Graycliff label by a very tight buddy of mine. He started me off with a G2 which was an extremely enjoyable mild cigar. As I continued to smoke my tastebuds have matured. He then introduced me to the Double Espresso. From the very first smell I was hooked. The creamy full bodied cigar with heavy plumes of smoke is a euphoric experience from beginning to end. I am ruined to other cigars and want to ensure that I have some of these on hand at all times for when the perfect time arises. A bit pricey but well worth it for the special occasions.”

AK of Valley Cottage, NY

“A little over a year ago I picked up a bundle of 18 Double Espresso(s). I decided I was going to age this cigar and have it only on my wedding anniversary. So, after having one a year ago around the time of my wedding, I stuck the remaining 17 in the bottom of my aging humidor to hibernate with my Opus X-es and some other gems. After a year of waiting (how the heck did I actually wait so long?!?), I finally was able to pull out another Double Espresso and indulge. To my surprise, the year of aging wildly changed the cigar. What was originally a full bodied, fire-cracking stick of dynamite has drastically mellowed out into a super smooth, consistent, slow-burning cigar. The taste has evolved into a super creamy, latte-ish, vanilla ice cream... no complaints here!!! My only critique at this time is that the last inch or so produced excessive char flavors and the burn was just a little too slow (perhaps the cigar was a little too moist?). Nevertheless, I am absolutely thrilled with what a year has done to this cigar and I am looking forward to seeing what the next year of aging holds in store!”

JK of Chicago, IL

“I got the double exspresso cigar a couple of years ago in a sampler. I have always been a fan of graycliff but this cigar is their greatest creation. If you like a heady cigar with perfect construction this cigar is for you. This cigar has so much ligero in it you can feel the nicotene on your tongue. It a great sensation. If they made them in a 6x60 size my humidor would be full of them.”

MS of Rome, NY

“I would put the double right up there with anything. Better get them on special as they are a bit pricy.”

CS of Rock Springs, WY

“Ok, I smoked a double espresso last night. It is a good cigar. It is not good enough to justify the price. I have also smoked much better cigars, so it is worth trying, but not worth buying a box.”

LT of Albuquerque, NM

“The Double Espresso is my son's favorite cigar. It would be mine as well, but I have a small mouth for the ring size so it is my second favorite. My favorite, in all honesty, is which ever cigar I am enjoying at the moment.”

RR of SEAL BEACH, CA

“A very nice cigar for the evening smoke. I'd not say it's a "full flavor". Mine are one notch below full. Not complaining though. Well made; a great cigar.”

Graycliff Espresso Series Cigar Staff Reviews

"Happiness? A good cigar, a good meal, a good cigar and a good woman - or a bad woman; it depends on how much happiness you can handle." - George Burns

Graycliff Espresso

Posted by Brandon S

You might recall a short time ago when the Robb Report labeled this bad-boy as being “nearly hallucinogenic”. I suppose that might be an applicable description by some, but in my humble opinion it’s merely a buzz word designed to attract attention to Graycliff’s original Espresso line. Certainly the blend is enticing enough with a combination of long-fillers consisting of Cuban-seed Corojo, Ecuadorian Ligero and Nicaraguan tobacco all wrapped up inside an oily and dark Costa-Rican wrapper. A pedigree that would have most of us literally wiping the drool from our chins!

I’ve honestly tried to give this cigar every opportunity to “blow my skirt up” (use your imagination) by smoking each of the Churchill, Torpedo and Robusto sizes on various occasions, with and without food and with a variety of my favorite spirits. Each and every time I found myself disappointed by the lack of flavor and complexity that this cigar delivers. Add to this a price tag of $18-$22 per stick and now we might be gaining some insight as to where the “nearly hallucinogenic” description came from! A 5-pack of these babies will lighten your wallet real quick leaving you feeling woozy just before your lights go out when you hit the floor like a ton of bricks. I know, I know, it’s a Graycliff and after masterfully crafting the Emerald, Crystal, Professionale and original lines you are probably thinking that it is a given that Espresso would deliver everything it promises and then some. Unfortunately, I’m sorry to say that’s not the case here. Maybe I’m being too harsh and if you truly do enjoy the Espresso then I digress. However, if you were contemplating a purchase or if you have oogled these cigars from afar uttering to yourself, “one day…one day you will be mine”, well then, my advice to you is to think it through before you pull the trigger on these. $100 can buy you one helluva of a sampling of some very tasty treats, or it can get you just one…single…5-pack.

"A cigar, my good man, I cannot give you. But any time you need a light, just come around; mine is always lit."

Graycliff Double Espresso

Posted by Keith

The Graycliff Resort in Nassau, Bahamas is a wonderful old place. I've stayed there a couple of times when visiting Enrico and Paolo Garzaroli - the father/son duo that runs the resort and the cigar-making operation. This place is full of charm. The hotel is historic and old, featuring huge rooms, peaceful scenery, numerous cigar-smoking spots. Also, its guest list is utterly remarkable....it's not just celebrities and athletes like Michael Jordan and Oprah Winfrey who frequent the resort. Past guests have included heavyweights such as Winston Churchill, Colin Powell and numerous heads of state. As far as food, the cuisine is positively unmatched - even for a six-pack and burger guy like me, the menu, wine list, and execution is remarkable.

Of course all this luxury ain't cheap, but if you've seen prices on Graycliff cigars that should come as no surprise. Like the resort itself, its cigars embody the same spirit: high quality, little regard for price.

Graycliff's cigar making operation is attached to the resort featuring about a dozen rollers. Over the past 10-15 years, this small little factory has built a reputation as a fine boutique maker. Originally blended by Cuban expatriate Avelino Lara, the "original" red label was Graycliff's first commercial blend, followed by the blue label "Profesionale" series, and furthered by the advent of the full-bodied white label Crystal and even more potent black label "Espresso" series.

That brings me to the subject of the review: a new spin on the Graycliff Espresso called 'Double Espresso'. Made in just one size, Double Espresso differs from the regular Espresso in that additional Ligero tobaccos have been added to amp up the blend's body and flavor. To the eye the Double Espresso is totally enticing. Its wrapper is dark and mottled, very compelling. Like the sacred cheese, slide the unlit cigar lustily under your nostrils and inhale....oh yes. Let's see what happens.

Indeed, its stout, dark 4.5"x54 frame braces you for a potent smoke packed with flavor, and does not disappoint. Upon lighting, a toasty, cedary aroma fills the nose. Despite its strength, it remains smooth and well balanced, booming out lavish volumes of smoke....thick gray clouds aplenty! Full but far from overpowering in body, Double Espresso is complex, including notes of leather, coffee bean and mocha. Its finish is long and lingering. Despite the 10 bucks per stick price tag - remember that is cheap by Graycliff standards - these gems are a recommended addition to your humidor. Pick up a mazo or two and stash them away.

Keep your eye out for a new Graycliff blend coming soon: Graycliff 1666, a blend to commemmorate the year the historic Graycliff hotel was built.

CI Customer Service is the best in the business. In-stock items ship same day plus we are here to help - live support, phone, fax, or email.

Welcome to Cigar Country!

CI hasn’t become the world’s leading cigar retailer by accident. We’re committed to industry-leading prices, exceptional service, the biggest selection, and overwhelming charm. No nonsense, just great cigars delivered fast, fresh, and discounted….beware of imitators.

At Cigars International we only sell our products to adults who meet the legal age requirement to purchase tobacco products. If you are not of the legal age to purchase tobacco products, please do not enter our site.